Another time
by ShamanLady
Summary: There's no way she had to sacrifice Chloe. She decides to try and save her one last time and maybe alongside the way she'll save a boy. A boy who was once full of anger and pride but in the end was left broken and tricked by life itself and maybe, just maybe she'll save this small city she already left once behind her.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone to my first story ever. I finished Life is Strange not so long ago and fell in love with it instantly. One of my absolutely fave characters is Nathan Prescott and it kinds of make me sad that he is treated the way he is treated by most of the players and well… he needs some more love. Since I'm on a quest to write a book for my friend for her birthday (she literally made me to do this, who the hell does things like that?) and since I'm not much of a writer I thought writing a fic will be a good warm up before the real thing and I heard someone said practice makes perfect so we'll see about that. Anyway the 1 chapter is more of testing the waters than anything else. I would like to take my turn on Max and other characters of the game and I will definitely put some caulscott in there in the future I also would like to look into Prescotts and what kind of shady business they do. I'm not sure how the story will turn out in the end but I hope It won't be too horrible. Also English is not my first language so there'll probably be some mistakes or a lot so please forgive me and enjoy the story… I hope.**

* * *

''Max it's time"

The wind is stronger with every minute and so it's rain. Max trembles from the piercing cold, staring at Chloe and then at huge tornado coming in Arcadia Bay way.

"Chloe… I'm so, so sorry… I… I don't want to do this." She looks back at her friend, her best friend. Her mind screams 'no! I can't, I can't'.

Chloe takes Max in her arms hugging her tightly, cutting her line of thoughts. Max hugs her back shaking violently. After a moment Chloe steps back.

"I know, Max. But we have to. We have to save everybody, okay?" Chloe takes a deep breath. "And you'll make those fuckers pay for what they did to Rachel."

Thunder strikes nearby, and Max knows that moment of taking a choice is closer, too close. Her friend looks at her, her eyes frightened but also full of love and resolve.

"Being together this week… it was the best farewell gift could have hoped for."

'no, please no' Max thinks. But she knows, she knows once Chloe put her mind on something, you can't stop her. She's a force to be reckoned with. 'Just like a hurricane' she thinks.

''You're my hero, Max." Chloe voice shakes a little. Max stares at her. 'It's not fair' her mind screams, but she knows what to do even if she doesn't want to.

"Oh, Chloe.. I'm gonna miss you so much." Max voice's raw with emotions. She steps closer to Chloe and hugs her one last time. They embrace each other and then Chloe let's her go.

"I'll always love you… Now, get out of here, please! Do it before I freak." Chloe takes step back and then another. She's shaking and Max heart breaks into million little pieces.

"And Max Caulfield? Don't you forget about me…"

"Never." Max looks at the photo of the blue butterfly, her hand shaking. She slowly turns to face the tornado. She focus on the photograph and in the next moment she's back where it all started. She lets the photo fall to the floor.

She waits and after a moment Nathan comes in. He's in the middle of his meltdown. His voice shaky and breath laboring. Max thinks about herself when she came here for the very first time, time that changed everything. She was feeling down too. And isn't that funny that she's so quick to judge others when she's no better herself.

The doors open again and Chloe shows up. "I hope you checked the perimeter, as my step-ass would say."

'Oh, Chloe' Max thinks and feels her world shatter again.

She slides down the wall and sits by the stall listening to Chloe frightened voice and Nathan angry one. She hears the sound of bullet being fired and Chloe body hitting the floor. She hears Nathan, he sounds scared and shocked. The tears are flowing down Max cheeks and she chokes on them while she listens to Nathan checking Chloe body and his mantra of 'no, no, no' how he paces on the floor his steps distressed.

He pulled the trigger, he killed her, he deserves everything that'll happen to him but why he sounded so broken. 'It's not his fault' Max thinks, he's mentally unstable. It was an accident, she pushed him and he pulled the trigger and how easy is that, she herself almost shot Frank in the junkyard if not for the empty cylinder, and Chloe actually killed him and his dog even if she didn't mean to.

'I'm such a hypocrite' She instantly remembers everything she learned about Prescott, how his friends care about him especially Victoria, how badly he is treated by his own father, the burden of the name Prescott, how he was used by Jefferson and discarded like a trash eventually, the voicemail when he warned her about the threat her teacher is.

She remembers Hayden when he said that Nathan is everybody voodoo doll 'kill the rich kid!' he said then and she trembles at the memory. She believed that Nathan was a sick psycho to the very moment she saw Jefferson at junkyard and then every piece of puzzle felt into a place. Nathan was just a scapegoat, another victim.

She hears the door open and David Madsen comes inside. There's shouting and she wonders if Nathan really deserves what is about to happen. She hears punching and someone hitting the tiles and there is no fighting back she realizes. She remembers the time when Warren punched the hell out of Nathan. How he was left sobbing saying that everybody hates him. She used her rewind power that time and stopped Warren, because Prescott looked so damn miserable, lying on the floor and crying, stripped from his pride until nothing left, broken.

There was a metallic click. Handcuffs. She thinks what will happen to Nathan. Jail? Mental illness institution? She thinks what will he have to go through in those places and it makes her sick. Nathan is right everyone tries to use him one way or another and it will not end, and is she any different? She tries to use him too in her own ways.

"No, I need to rewind, I need…'' no she can't, it was already too long, she looks at her left at the photo next to her.

"Is someone here?" She hears David, and she panics. She grabs the picture and try to focus on it. The head ache hits her like a ton of bricks and her vision goes dark for a moment. She hears Madsen getting up and she knows that she must focus on the photo no matter what. Her body is shaking and her head hurts immensely but she looks at the photo and next moment she's standing with the camera, a fresh photo rolling out of it. She staggers and lean on the stall for a second, she feels dizzy.

She hears the door open and Prescott comes in again. She feels weak, and the headache is killing her. She takes step forward but her vision is blurry again and she can't lose consciousness now. She tries to focus and isn't it kind of ironic. She props herself on the wall.

"It's cool, Nathan…" She need to go to him, to stop him, to soothe him, anything.

"Don't stress, you're okay, bro, just… count to three."

Max grits her teeth and takes a step forward, stepping from behind the stall.

"Nathan…" She says somehow and Nathan head whips in her direction.

"What the fuck! What the fuck are you doing here!" and then he looks at her, it's Caulfield that nosy bitch. Just his luck it seems. He takes out his gun because he's so fed up with everything and everyone.

"help… please…'' he snickers to himself but then he notices blood flowing from her nose, and she looks so damn pale. The doors opens and he curses under his breath. That blue haired punk ass steps in but when she sees his gun and then looks at Caulfield she stops.

"What the fucking hell?!" She turns around and exits the bathroom in an instant.

"Nathan…" it's so quiet he barely register it. He turns to face that hippie girl and the moment he does that, her knees give out and she hits the floor hard like a puppet that's strings were suddenly cut. He throws his gun and tries to catch her.

"Fuck… fuck… fuck what to do?" She shakes uncontrollably in his arms. There are tears flowing down her cheeks, and the damn blood doesn't seem to stop flowing either.

"Nathan… please… Jefferson… he…" Her voice is so desperate and weak. He looks at her shocked. Jefferson? "How the fuck… " He can't finish, possible scenarios overflowing his mind. She brings her hand up and grabs his jacket. She looks like she wants to say something more but then she stops shaking and her hand falls loose, eyes closing.

"No… no fuck no, fuck" He's scared, what the hell just happened. He stares at the unmoving body and he suddenly feels empty. Not again. Not again. He never really liked her, she was so nosy, the fucking selfie ho of Blackwell. But whatever happened she didn't deserved it.

"No it can't be happening" He stares at her and notices her chest moving just slightly, her breath rather shallow but there nonetheless. He lets out a sigh of relief. He takes out his phone and calls the hospital. He'll thinks about Jefferson and his involvement in this later, now he has a girl to save and he hopes no one will blame him for this. He didn't ask for this, he didn't ask for any of the shit that happened in his life.

He looks at her one last time, she looks so fragile like a broken doll. The voice in his mobile takes him back to reality.

"It's Arcadia Bay Memorial Hospital. What's your emergency?"

Nathan swears that he'll make sure that Caulfield will come out of this whole and healthy.

"I'm Nathan Prescott, I'm at Blackwell, there is a girl that need medical attention ASAP…" he looks down at Caulfield and his heart stops for a second because her chest stopped moving.

"Shit! She's not… she's not breathing…" he feels numb the phone slips from his hand and lands on the floor.

"Sir! Sir! Can you hear me?"

"Fuck…"


	2. Chapter 2

Nathan sits in his car trying to calm down, he counts to 10 and breaths in and out, in and out. He looks out of the window at the hospital where Caulfield and hospital stuff disappeared in just a moment ago. The image of her lifeless body stuck in his mind, the blood, there was so much blood, it was just a fucking nosebleed, why there was so much of it? And Jefferson, how the fuck he fits into all this? Nathan body shakes his breathing speeding up. "Fuck, don't think about it, just don't fucking think about it… shit", it's not the time to freak out he thinks. He tries to calm down again and get a hold of himself. He finally reach the car door and steps out from his truck. He takes one deep breath and goes to the building.

The moment he's in, the smell hits him, his stomach lurch from it. The mix of chemicals, medicines, and… illness and there are those fucking white walls that makes him feel even more dizzy. His face twists in disgust, he never really liked hospitals. He fucking hates them. He braces himself and goes to the reception, where some old lady sits in. She seems friendly enough but he doesn't care about it. She's sees him and gives him a bright smile, and it irks him even more. It's just a façade Nathan thinks instantly, no one would simile honestly working in a place like this, not for a long run.

"What can I help you with, young man?". She asks in a gentle tone smiling even more, it's so fake he thinks. But he doesn't have time for this bullshit, he needs to know where Caulfield is and if she's fine, and then he remembers she wasn't breathing when paramedics took her, and he starts to get anxious and agitated, his breath speeding up again. The woman behind the counter, notices it and gets up, she goes around the reception desk, "is everything alright? Maybe you should sit down for a moment, try to calm down?"She's approaching him like some kind of wild and wounded animal and then places hand on his shoulder.

Nathan shakes her hand of, "don't touch me and don't you fucking ever tell me what to do you old hag!" He tells her from between greeted teeth. The woman steps back taken a back, face shocked her composure shaken. "And now do your fucking job, cause it's what's you're paid for and tell me where the fuck Caulfield is!" Receptionists gawks at him frozen in place. "Are you deaf or something?! Tell me where Caulfield is!"

"She's in the emergency room on… on the f-first floor" the woman stutters, clearly she didn't see that little outburst of his coming, but he didn't care. He turns around and takes the stairs nearby taking two steps at time. His heart racing, emergency room means that something is wrong, very, very wrong. He staggers out of the door right into a corridor he looks on his right then left and goes there as fast as he can. By the end of the hall he turns right and there it is the emergency room, the light above is red and it means that whatever is going on in there is not done yet. Nathan paces the floor, body shaking a swirl of thoughts in his head making him go crazy. Then there is quiet ping and light turns to green, after a moment doctor shows up in the door. He looks at Nathan and stops, he casts his eyes down for a second then he stares right in Nathan frightened ones.

"Are you here for the girl? Maxine Caulfield?" The Doctor asks, Nathan nods he has a bad feeling about it. Doctor closes his eyes and then he says some absurd bullshit. "I'm sorry we did everything we could, but she didn't make it." Nathan looks at the man completely dumbfounded, what does he mean she didn't make it? He takes his eyes from the doctor and looks into the room, he sees Caulfield on the bed, the heart monitor shows straight lines, the nurse looks up at him and give him a sad nod.

Nathan blinks his eyes and turns around to face the doctor, his heart races up and he sees red "There is no fucking way! Do your fucking job! Save her!" He pulls the man by his coat snickering and shouting into his face. "Take your ass back inside and do everything you can to fucking bring her back"

"I understand your frustration but we did everything in our power to help her"

"You clearly fucking didn't!" He wants to say more but there is a ping sound and the nurse is calling this damn failure of a doctor.

"Dr. Russo we have her heart rate back" The man head whips and then he's pulling out of Nathan grip and disappears into the room. Nathan takes a glimpse of Caulfield shaking body, she looked like she was possessed, before the door close. He takes a breath and goes to sit in one of the chairs by the wall. He's shaking and he suddenly feels drained and completely tired, another shitty day he thinks, well more shitty than the others lately. He rests head in his hands, cold sweat rolling down his temples and nape. He waits for some minutes or maybe it's been hours? And finally Dr. Failure comes out of this damn room looking rather contempt, he looks up at Nathan and gives him a faint smile. "Her condition is stable, she's sleeping and we're going to put her in a room now"

"I want to see her." Nathan says, he needs to be there when she wakes up, he needs to know what she knows about Jefferson. Russo lets out a little sigh. "I'm afraid it's impossible now" He scratches his head observing Nathan a bit warily. Prescott lets out a low growl and he's right in doctor face again. "Do you have any idea, who the hell I am?!" Nathan doesn't have time for it, why everyone make every-fucking-thing so damn hard for him. "I'm Nathan Prescott and if you know what is good for you, you better listen to me closely, because I won't fucking repeat myself" he takes a pause and continues, "You're going to tell me in which room you're gonna put her, and then let me sit there and wait for her to wake up, and I don't fucking care about visiting hours or other bullshit, so if I want to stay into the late night hours you'll fucking let me do it, and if you object you can kiss the floor of this damn hospital because it'll be last thing you do before you lose your shitty job, are we fucking clear?!"

"Of course Mr. Prescott, I understand you can come with us and settle in the room while we arrange equipment and other things."

"Good, now fucking lead the way"

The nurse push the bed out of the room looking briefly at Nathan. He gives her look saying to own her damn business and comes after her and doctor into one of the rooms. It's small and white, because apparently everything here is. He sits in a corner and stares at all the machines they hook up Caulfield to. When they done they leave the room quietly but not for long, there are some voices just outside it and after a moment dr. Russo comes back, Nathan is ready to give a piece of his mind to him, but he doesn't have a chance to do it.

"Some teacher from Blackwell Academy is here, he said his name is Jefferson." The doctor says and Prescott curses, why in hell this damn fucker is here? He stands up and goes out of the room, Jefferson spots him right away and walks up to him.

"Nathan Prescott what a surprise"

"What are you doing here Jefferson?!"

"Easy there, Nathan we don't want to cause a commotion now do we?" Jefferson says while crossing his arms on his chest. Nathan snickers looking right at him.

"What are you doing here?" Prescott repeats, he peeks right and left noting that the doctor and nurse left. Jefferson exhales shaking his head.

"I'm here because one of our students suddenly lands in a hospital and someone from teachers body needed to come here and check things out. The honor fell on me as you can see." Jefferson stares Nathan down, " What are you doing here though? With the exception that you're the one who found her, I assumed you'll be long gone. I didn't notice that you and Max were close like that, quite the opposite actually, or is that something recent, perhaps?"

"It's none of your business!"

"Is that a way to talk to your teacher Nathan?" The man smiles a little, tone teasing.

Nathan gives him a hard look, "Do what you came here for and get lost".

"What about you?"

"I'm staying. Now get lost." Prescott turns and go up to Caulfield room.

"So you ARE like that" Jefferson snickers, "Don't taint her Nathan" His tone a little lower by the end.

Nathan puts his hand on the doorframe and turns his head slowly in Jefferson direction. "Like I said it's none of your fucking business If we are or not like that" and taint her? What hell Jefferson is up to?

"We'll talk once you're back at Blackwell, Nathan."

"What the fuck ever"He steps into the room and closes the doors. He waits and then he hears steps going further away. He exhales closing his eyes and propping himself on the door. Not so long ago he wanted Jefferson attention he wanted to be part of something bigger and he was for a time. But after that accident he didn't know anymore, he wish he could forget everything and now there is Caulfield that nosey bitch and apparently she knows something and Nathan just want to get over it. The words 'don't taint her' jump into his mind. It's impossible isn't it? He opens his eyes and looks at Caulfield wondering if she's next.

"Fuck this shit I'm so done", he slowly goes up to the bed where the girl is lying in. There is a tub attached to her mouth and a bunch of IV's in her arms. She looks peaceful, and pale almost white just like the walls around them. Her chest is moving up and down, up and down and Nathan sits in the chair by the bed. Observing her. The whole day is one big damn mess and he just want to lay down and sleep and eventually the regular sound of the heart monitor lulls him into deep slumber. And he dreams but it's nothing good. He dreams of death and destruction and a lone petite figure shaking in the wind covered by the shadows.


	3. Chapter 3

Nathan is jerked from the sleep by a pair of hands shaking him. "Wha?...The hell is going on?!" His voice is a little groggy from sleep and he feels disoriented for a second. He blinks and then looks at Caulfield but she's still asleep, he hears someone clearing their throat and he looks up. He's welcomed by Dr. Fucking Failure and he scowls at the man.

"The fuck you think you're doing?!" He grips the hem of the doctor white coat pulling him closer. The man eyes widens a little but that's it. Somehow it irritates Nathan even more. "Do not touch me, you damn fucker!" He's shouting now, but he couldn't care less. He's so fucking fed up with everyone. Russo just sighs and Nathan pushes him hard, he stumbles almost losing his balance but he catches himself on Caulfield bed. And then Nathan is at him again, the man tries to evade him but he ends with a split lip. Nathan stands up straighter and looks at him, anger evident in his eyes.

"Watch it doc cause next time I won't stop at this." He looks the man up and down. Russo gives him a hard look touching his lip, looking ready to say something but he halts for a moment and then shakes his head.

"I understand Mr. Prescott but I'm not here to… fight with you."

"I don't give a shit to why are you here!" He snarls, hands fidgeting.

"I'm here for Ms. Caulfield."

Nathan looks briefly at that hippie girl suddenly remembering why he's in this fucking hospital to begin with. She sleeps without a damn care in the world. He frowns, shouldn't she wake up from all this commotion not that this damn doctor hadn't that one coming. He turns to face the man. "What with her", he hisses eyeing him. He really wants to punch this bastard in that dumb face again.

"Her body took a real toll on her, whatever happened, caused her to end up… dying."

"So fucking what?"

"I think that she won't wake up until her body is ready to do so and I doubt she will wake up now or for next few hours to be honest."

"Get to it already!" Nathan doesn't have time for playing 'guess what?' or other crap like that.

"What I want to say Mr. Prescott is that maybe it would be better for you to go back to Blackwell."

Nathan looks at the man ready to rip him a new one but doctor adds quickly.

"We'll give you call as soon as she wakes up, so there is no need for you to be here. I get you're worried Mr. Prescott but she's in good hands and I doubt sleeping in a chair is comfortable."

"I'm not worried! And don't tell me what to fucking do!" He grabs Russo and shakes him. He stops however when he feels his phone vibrating. He curses under his breath but he releases the man. He fish out his mobile from his jacket to check the caller ID and his posture visibly relax. "I'm not done yet with you Dr. Russo" He says mockingly and then he spins and goes out of the door on the corridor.

When he's outside the room he picks up. "What's up Vic, shouldn't you be in a middle of your beauty sleep? It's like 2 a.m." He says in a light tone, he hears some grunting before Victoria answers him.

"Do you have any idea how worried I was?! I called you 20 times already! 20! Where the hell have you been?!" She sounds really concerned and his heart warms up a little.

"I'm at hospital…" He goes up to the wall opposite to Caulfield room and leans on it. There's no one in sight, so no one will disturb him.

"Hospital?! Nathan please tell me nothing happened to you…"

"What? No. I'm fine Vic you don't have to worry." He feels a little guilty though, he should have told her something.

"Then what're you doing there? Wait… I know you were the one who found that little Selfie hipster but you're not staying there with her, are you?" He's not staying because he wants to, he does because he needs answers, but he can't tell her that. Well maybe he's a bit worried too or something he's not sure maybe it's just curiosity.

"I stayed because she almost died on me, Vic ", not true well not entirely.

"So what?"

"So I wanted to make sure she's fine, I don't want her blood on my hands Vic. You know people in this town would take that as opportunity to rip me and my damn family to fucking shreds."

"But it wouldn't be your fault, besides you can afford the best lawyers in the country." Nathan smiles.

"You know they're waiting for a chance like this, and I don't want to take any."

"They're idiots and vultures, they don't know you, they should go straight to hell."

"Damn right they should. But seriously you should have seen her Vic. There was so much blood and she wasn't breathing, you would freak out too and stay to make sure she's fine, even if she's a little bitch."

"Was it really that bad?" It was and memory of it mess with his head.

"It was, it was a bloody massacre" All from one damn nosebleed. He still couldn't wrap his head around this, there must be a reason, right?

"What happened to her?" Victoria sounds… he's not sure how she sounds, curious and worried perhaps.

"I don't know Vic. I don't have a frigging idea what the fuck had happened to her. Who cares anyway."

She doesn't say anything for few seconds, so he glances around noting some pictures and posters about one illness or another. You don't have to be sick to feel like it in here he notes and then winces – hospitals and their voodoo magic.

"Apparently you do, Nathan. But now that I think about it she looked kind of pale in Jefferson class more so then usual. Do you think someone dosed her?"

"I don't think so, but hey who knows? That damn dyke probably had it coming for being so nosey. "

"Maybe but still."

"Anyway once she wakes up I'm gonna pull some answers out of her."

There's a short pause before she answers. "What about you, Nate? Maybe you should return to Blackwell. She probably won't wake up tonight anyway, you could come back there once you catch some sleep."

"What with you and this damn Dr. Failure talking about going back and resting?!"

"What? I don't know what you mean Nate but Caulfield isn't going anywhere, she'll still be there when you come back and then you can pull all her dark and dirty secrets out of her, better to do that rested don't you think? Or are you up and shiny? Then pardon me for suggesting you to put your ass in that comfortable bed of yours." She says, snickering a little by the end and Nathan can't help but smile.

A nurse shows up and she gives him a sign to be quiet. He gets slightly annoyed but it's a good excuse to end the call. He's tired and as much as he likes Victoria once she starts talking it's hard to stop her.

"I need to go Vic, Hospital staff wants me to be quiet."

"I thought you don't like when someone tells you what to do."

"Damn true but I'm tired, and I guess I'll be back at Blackwell shortly. We'll talk in the morning, ok Vic?" He hears her sigh but eventually she says good bye and he ends the call.

Dr. Fuckturd shows up right on cue and Nathan seriously wants to hit him in this stupid face.

"Mr. Prescott about…"

"I'm going back to Blackwell and you better fucking call, if not, you can say Au revoir to your shitty excuse of a job!"

The man blinks at him then smiles, which probably wasn't the best idea considering split lip cause he winces a bit and Nathan smirks.

"Of course Mr. Prescott" and then Nathan is gone, his steps echoing in the hallway.

* * *

He barely lands foot in the building where the dormitories are when Victoria attacks him. He startles for a second anger arising in him before he realizes who's he dealing with.

"Fuck, Victoria! Don't jump out of fucking nowhere!" Victoria gives him a look.

"I was worried!"

"I thought we already established that part."

"Smartass." She rolls her eyes at him but she looks relieved. Fucking mother hen she is but he only has her and he wouldn't give up her for anything.

"Relax, Vic. So… what in rotting hell you're doing, hm?"

"Waiting for you, obviously." She crosses her arms, frowning a little. "So what's with Caulfield?"

"She was playing a sleeping ugly last I saw her." He heads up to his dormitory, Victoria hot on his heels.

"Nathan." She says using that condescending tone of hers and he sighs.

"Fine, whatever." They're on the corridor now, toilet paper scattered everywhere. They step over it and they're standing before his room a moment later. He takes his keys and opens the door.

"Welcome in my little kingdom, oh Queen of Blackwell."

Victoria goes past him and sits on the couch. "There's no need for sarcasm or is it? Dear fellow ruler." She gives him a smirk.

He laughs and then plops on his bed. "To the point, Vic. Now that I'm here in my fucking comfortable bed you mentioned earlier, I'm ready to pass out."

"What's the deal with sad face?" She crosses her leg over the other one resting her hands on her knees.

"Like I said, hell if I know." Victoria doesn't say anything just cocks her eyebrow at him.

"I had a shitty day and went to fucking restroom to clear my head."

"It was girls restroom, Nathan."

"And it's always fucking empty so it was damn perfect."

"I guess."

There is a moment of silence, they're both staring at each other. Victoria looks tired Nathan notes. Her eyes a little red, dark circles starts forming under her eyes. He stands up.

"I thought it was empty but then she showed up from behind that stall… Pale like a frigging ghost with blood oozing from her damn nose." He takes his shoes off and then goes up to his desk. Victoria changes positions, leaning more in his direction.

"Nosebleed? Could she be overdosed or something? You think someone…" He looks at her and shrugs.

"You already asked that over the phone." He sighs when Victoria gives him that look again. "Hell, maybe or maybe she overdosed herself." Victoria frowns and shakes her head.

"I don't think she would take any drugs herself."

"What, because you're such good friends and you know her so well." He snorts taking his jacket off and hangs it on the chair then he leans on the desk facing his friend.

"No, I know this cause she's such innocent little bitch."

"What the fuck ever, maybe she drugged herself maybe she didn't maybe it's something different…" He looks on his right closing his eyes for a moment, fingers tapping on the desk. He takes deep breath then another and faces Victoria again. "She died, Victoria."

Victoria gasps shocked, eyes wide, she stands up and goes up to Nathan. "Died?! What do you mean? You didn't fucking mentioned she's dead! You said she's sleeping!"

"She died but they eventually brought her back, so chill." Or she brought herself back, because Dr. Nice and dandy just gave up on her. And fuck he despised her but she didn't deserved it. The memory of her body with blood running from her nose, eyes glossy… it hit to close to home.

"So she's alive, then? Which is it?!"

"Yes, your nemesis is alive as much as she can. What the fuck is with you anyway, Vic? Why do you care?!" Victoria steps aside, back sagging, she closes her eyes and exhales. She touches her temple for a moment like she wanted to stop incoming migraine but wasn't able to and instead just stands there like she's lost.

"I don't know, I made fun of her… what if I could prevent it… she looked bad… and scared of something what if I…" Her voice shakes but she braces herself. "I… I need to go, Nate. Sleep this out, I… see you in the morning."

"Victoria, it's not your fucking fault." He takes her hand, he never knows what to do in this kind of situations.

"I… thanks Nate." She gives him a faint smile. She straightens up, always strong and proud he admires that in her. She nods to him and exits the room. Nathan looks up and stares at the ceiling trying to forget today's events but he fails and instead goes up to his bed. He turns on the only sound that can calm him down and lays in the bed, thinking until he falls asleep.

The night is fairly calm for him, there's no dreams no nightmares. He wakes up in late afternoon but he doesn't care, he still felt a bit tired but better than usual, much better. He stretches on bed, events from last day replaying in his mind. He checks his phone in hope that there'll be missed call from hospital but no such luck, what he has though is a text from Victoria. He taps the message and reads it.

 **From: Victoria**

 **I hope u r up. Wells wants to see u and talk about sad face.**

"Fuck." He swears but he gets up, he takes his shower stuff and heads to the bathroom, it's empty and he thanks whatever fucking deity there is, not that he believes in such bullshit. Once he's done he goes back to his room and changes his clothes. He doesn't like the idea of talking with that fucked up old drunkard, but he guess he doesn't have much of a choice. He probably wants to ask what in hell happened to Crackfield, not that he knows but better to chat with that damn lickspittle coward than pigs. He looks at his phone it's already 3 p.m, looks like he spend in the showers almost 40 minutes but ol' good Wells could wait.

When he's outside the dormitories he takes a smoke, he knows he should go to the principal as soon as he can but since he is who he is, he takes his sweet time. He owns this fucking school, so who the fuck cares. He looks around, there're squirrels everywhere and Nathan wrinkles his nose. They always kind of freaked him out, shouldn't they be more of a wild animals? Instead they behave like house pets, well not exactly but they're not afraid either and they're always watching, creepy. He finishes his cigarette and strolls to the main building of Blackwell. The classes should end in more or less 45 minutes, he really did sleep in, didn't he.

"Let's get this shit done and over with." He says to himself and goes into the building. He walks through the lobby and into admin assistant office, he doesn't acknowledge presence of the lady behind the desk and goes straight into principal office. Once he opens the door he spots Jefferson.

"What the fuck he's doing here?!" The last thing he needs is this fucker to be anywhere near him.

"Mr. Prescott don't act like a petulant child and sit down." Principal says giving him a look.

"What did you just called me, you drunkard?!"

"Mr. Prescott." Principal says striving for authoritative tone but failing rather miserably and Nathan snickers. He sits down in one of the chairs, the other one occupied by Jefferson.

"I own this fucking school and I own you! So don't you fucking dare to tell me what to do!"

Wells just sighs and then looks at Jefferson and at him again. "You're here to tell us what you know about Ms. Caulfield."

Nathan side looks in Jefferson direction. "Why is he here?"

"I'm here because I went to the hospital on teacher's body behalf and because Max family is not exactly available, also I would like to know what happened to one of my… precious students." Jefferson replies before Wells has the chance and Nathan can't help but notice that little pause in his response.

"So could you tell us what did you do in girls bathroom Mr. Prescott? And did you see something? Do you know why Ms. Caulfield ended up like that?"

Nathan looks at the ugly bird on principal desk and thinks for a second how would it feel to use it on that drunkard head, he shudders in spite of himself thinking what a mess it would be, he's not going there, nope. He sighs, there's no point in lying, he doesn't know anything anyway. His right leg starts to stamp, moving in little jerking motions, up and down so he puts a hand on his knee. He takes a breath and exhales and then he tells them what he said Victoria, when he's done Jefferson is the first to speak up.

"Interesting. I admit that Max did look slightly unwell but otherwise there was nothing out of the ordinary."

"So you say that student of yours didn't look well and you just dismissed her?" Principal focuses his attention on Jefferson raising his brows at him. The teacher turns to him frowning.

"It's not that…"

"Yes, let's hear it, Jefferson." Nathan snickers. Wells glances at him with a stern look.

"As for you Mr. Prescott, we're done here. And as for you Jefferson, we'll undertake an investigation, a student collapsed and almost died right after your class…"

"Actually, she have died as you know so don't fucking sugarcoat it." Nathan says while standing up, he looks briefly at Jefferson, and he's looking straight at him, observing him. Nathan shrugs and goes out of this damn room leaving two men to deal with this shit by themselves and if he's lucky, Jefferson will be in trouble, the day already looks much better.

When he exits the office the classes are already over. He takes his phone out to check any missed calls but there's none so he decides to call the hospital himself. He dials the number, someone picks up after short time and familiar voice resounds in his mobile.

"It's Arcadia Bay Memorial Hospital. What's your emergency?"

"Did Caulfield wake up?" He doesn't feel like playing cat and mouse with that dumb woman.

"Excuse me, Who am I talking to?"

"For fuck sake!" Idiots, idiots everywhere. He's outside the school and he scans his surroundings.

"Nathan Prescott, you dumb old hag. Now tell me about Caulfield." He locates students free space near the passage to parking lot and he directs his steps over there.

"Yes, of course a moment, please." She says in a rush. He hears typing and then some voices. He leans on a tree and looks around. It's quiet, as much as it can be, and sunny, though he heard some nurses he passed in corridor yesterday talking about snowing when he was asleep by Caulfield bed. He dismissed it because he had more important things on his mind than a pair of gossiping women. Besides it's not like he was so surprised about the snow to be absolutely honest.

"Mr. Prescott, are you still there?" He's brought back to reality, not the time to think about useless stuff.

"Yes." He growls. It's so damn irritating.

"Ms. Maxine Caulfield is still sleeping, her condition is stable. Dr. Russo says there are high chances that she'll wake up today though."

This Russo again, he hates this guy. "What the fuck ever." And he ends the call. He figures he has some time so he goes to check up on Victoria. This whole thing with Caulfield really shook her up. He doesn't know what to think. He starts to wonder that maybe Jefferson really had something to do with it, there was something about him that didn't sit well with Nathan besides the whole business with his side hobby that is. And Victoria always complains about Jefferson paying extra attention to Caulfield what makes Victoria kind of angry since as she says Max is just a fucking Selfie bitch, nothing special about her. But on the other hand she somehow fits the bill and Nathan swears. No point in thinking about this shit, he'll have his answers once Caulfield wakes up and the rest he'll fill himself.

* * *

Warren and Kate are standing before the hospital, arms full of flowers. They look at the building. It was 3 stories high but not that big as whole. After a moment they decide to go in.

"Do you think Max is up?" Warren asks Kate, worry all over his face.

"I hope so but maybe we should call before we came?" She glances at the building, she notices some people in the windows here and there, patients more likely.

"Yeah, probably, I didn't think about that, I just…"

"Wanted to see her. I know, me too." She gives Warren a reassuring smile but in next moment she looks down feeling bad, sudden sadness feeling her heart.

"Hey, Kate what's up?" They stop right before the entrance. Warren puts a hand on Kate shoulder leaning down to peek at her face. She shakes her head.

"I… after Mr. Jefferson class she asked if I was fine and… I… if I looked closer maybe I could…"

"Hey, it's not your fault, you didn't know something like that could happened."

"Maybe, but what if she wasn't feeling good? And she still was concerned about me, it's just…" She looks to the side, there're a lot of cars parked, she sees a bird sitting on one of them looking at her curiously. She sighs.

"Kate, it wasn't your fault, if anyone responsible it's most likely this bastard Prescott."

"But he was the one to call the ambulance, and he even stayed with her in the hospital."

"Well yeah, to make sure she'll keep silent about his involvement!"

"You don't know that."

"He's a Prescott so you know a really, really bad news."

"We should see if she's fine, no point in thinking about it now." And she saw Nathan before he went to the hospital after ambulance took Max, he looked haunted, scared even but she didn't think that he did anything to her, it was more of a shock she thinks. Who wouldn't be if they found someone collapsed like that. And there was also a real concern showing on his face and she's sure she never had seen Prescott like that. He might know something, though. She had her own suspicions about him but after she saw him she kind of started to doubt it. She felt lost so incredibly lost, but Max is more important now.

"I… right, right we should." Warren nods.

They go in. There are some people inside mostly patients and hospital staff. They go up to the reception desk a lady behind it gives them a bright smile.

"What can I help you with?"

"We're here to ask about Max Caulfield. We're friends from school." Kate says smiling as well or trying at least.

"Oh, I just talked with Mr. Prescott a few minutes ago." Warren makes a face at that, glancing at Kate.

"What did he want?" He asks as nice as he can and talking about Prescott using a nice tone is a really tough job to do, Warren is kind of proud of himself.

"He just wanted to know if she woken up. Although I must say he's a really rude young man."

Warren wants to say something but Kate grabs his arm, and Warren deflates.

"So is she awake?" Kate asks instead. She's worried, so worried. She had enough on her plate and thought about doing something awful but the news about Max stopped her from it. Her friend was hurt and she needed to be there for her.

"Unfortunately she's not. She was in bad condition when they brought her, but she's fine now. Just sleeping, she should wake up soon though, in a couple of hours maybe." She wants to add something more but another voice cuts in.

"Are you here for Ms. Caulfield?" Warren and Kate look to their left, there's a Doctor leaning on the counter. He has slightly grey hair and blue eyes and he's around his mid 50's, Warren notes. There's a cane right next to him and Warren just burst out without thinking.

"Wow you're like real life Dr. House!" He exclaims, eyes shining. The man looks at him with funny look and Warren cheeks kind of heats up from embarrassment. "Ugh, I mean, sorry sir, I didn't…"

The man laughs. "I get that a lot, My name's actually is House too."

"Seriously?!"

"No." Warren makes a troubled face and his cheeks burn even more.

"Sorry kid," the doctor smiles," and if you wondering about the cane, I had accident a couple of weeks ago, so I use it to spare my poor leg a little until I fully recover."

"Oh." Not the smartest answer in the world and Warren wants to hide.

"We're sorry to hear that, Doctor…" Kate interjects looking at poor Warren.

"Stan." Says the man.

"Can you tell us more about our friend Dr. Stan?" She asks to spare her friend more embarrassment.

"Ah yes, poor girl, we're not sure what caused her condition, we did some blood tests but they didn't show anything out of the ordinary, with the rest we'll have to wait until she wakes." He taps his chin then continues. "But as our dear Mrs. Lestrange here said she's stable. Ms. Caulfield is actually under Dr. Russo care, he was the one to treat her." Warren head whips to the lady behind the desk. Kate lets out a little sigh and smiles a bit at her friend antics.

"I'm not a witch and my name's not Lestrange, it's Mirth as my name plate suggests." She turns to the man. "You should stop teasing this poor souls Dr. Stan, it's not nice." Doctor gives her a bashful smile.

"Right. Sorry for that kid. Anyway she's sleeping. Dr. Russo would be your man to tell you more but he went home already. Once the visits are on the table we'll call the school, they should pass the message to the students." They both make a sad face at the news.

"Thank you Dr. Stan. It was really helpful. Could we at least leave these?" Kate points at the flowers and card with get well wishes.

"Just leave it here, we'll make sure to put them in her room." Says Mrs. Mirth.

"Thank you." Kate nods, putting items on the counter.

"Yeah, thanks." Warren smiles awkwardly and puts his own flowers next to Kate's.

"So we probably should go already." Warren says scratching his head, Kate agrees and they say their good byes leaving the hospital. They go through parking lot to Warren's car. They don't say anything trying to digest the information they learned which wasn't all that much but it was still something. They step in the car, Kate putting her seat belt on first.

"I made a total fool of myself." Warren sighs touching his forehead to the steering wheel. Kate looks at him not sure what to say. It was kind of true and a bit funny to be frank. The situation wasn't entirely appropriate but it's nice to know Warren is still Warren. "We should go back, before I die from shame." He adds while fastening his seat belt.

"Yes, and we should look at the bright side, Warren. Maybe we'll be able to see Max soon, maybe even tomorrow." Warren gives her a weak smile. He pulls out of the parking lot and drives on the road passing the red truck.

Nathan spots Warren car and snorts such blind lovesick little nerd, he's going after Caulfield like some lost puppy. It always made him laugh how she constantly friend zoned the guy, fucking hilarious. He parks on one of the free spaces and goes to the building. He despise this place but he has some questions to the hipster girl and when he went to see Victoria she practically got rid of him saying that she's fine and he doesn't need to worry about her, he gave in when he saw some sort of resolve in her eyes plus she looked much better. So instead he decided to come to this pit of hell, maybe this time he'll be lucky. He passes the reception and gives the old hag a look, she doesn't say a thing and he goes straight for the stairs. Few minutes later he's standing before Caulfield room. He puts a hand on the doorknob but he doesn't enter, not until he hears a loud noise.

* * *

Max opens her eyes but she's welcomed by darkness, she tries to look around but everything is pitch black. She starts to feel a bit uneasy, chill running down her spine. "Where am I?" she asks but the only answer is silence. It's so quiet that Max can hear her own heartbeat. She tries to calm down and listen in hope she'll hear something, anything. She keeps her ears open for any sound and the more she listens the more profound the silence is. There's a ominous feel to it and she remembers something she heard long time ago. Don't listen to silence because once you do you'll hear the voice of the dead, she shudders uncontrollably. But she has no choice so she listens and then she hears a hum. She glances around but it's still dark so she listens harder and then hum transform into whispers.

"Who is here?" But there's no reply instead there's a moment of complete silence before a sudden noise hits in, a high pitched scratch like sound almost like the one when you scratch the whiteboard. She clasps hands over her ears keeling over and landing on her knees, a pain shoots through her legs. The noise is over and she takes her hands off feeling a little dizzy. The whispers getting stronger and then she hears.

"Trickster!"

"Liar!"

"Traitor!"

"Murderer!"

She whips her head right and left but it's still dark and she can't see anything. "Who's here?!" She's scared, she doesn't know where she is or what's going on. Then she hears laughter like the ones you can hear in horror movies, a deep almost obscure kind of laugh and she gets goose bumps. There's a sudden light that blinds her for a second and when she opens her eyes she sees buildings, destroyed, ruined. She cringes, memory of Arcadia bay when she drove to Two Whales overtaking her mind but there's another light and she's welcomed by the sight of decapitated bodies. She tries to look the other way but the bodies are there too so she tries to close her eyes.

"You can't." She hears a whisper and she really can't, her eyes wide open. She panics.

"What is it?! Why are you doing this?!"

No one replies her and when she looks over the dead bodies she recognizes them as people she knows, her friends and family. Her stomach lurch and she bends in two. There's another flash and there's an awful stench hitting her nostrils. She looks up and she regrets instantly, there are bodies lying around but this time they're completely mutilated, limbs scattered everywhere. Blood and rotting fresh and it's too much for her, she turns around to throw up but there's nothing coming out and she spasms.

"It's your doing."

"You did this."

Max cries, tears rolling down her cheeks. "No!" She wails. "No!"

"Oh you did. You killed them."

"You toyed with the force you don't understand!"

"For your own amusement!" says one voice.

"Your own amusement!" says another one.

"Your own amusement!" another echoes it.

"Stop! Please stop!" Max stands up but she slips, she looks down and winces when she realizes she's standing in the pool of blood.

"It's theirs!" She hears the voice again. "Theirs!" and they laugh again.

"Chloe's!" She hears near her left and she looks over there. "Warren's!" She hears from the other side.

"Kate's!"

"Joyce's!"

"Please stop!" She screams, she can't , she had enough.

Then the thunder like bird strikes down and Max smells the burnt flesh. She puts hand over her mouth, gagging. She looks up and she sees a totem pole amidst the pile of dead bodies. It resembles Tobanga and at the same time it doesn't an ominous feel to it. She wants to get out of here, wherever here is.

"You should make friends with the Tobanga, Max." She hears right in her ear so she turns and she's looking straight at herself.

"You… you again."

"Oh no, I'm not" The other her looks at her and smiles. "You were toying with the force you don't understand, Max. Now you have to pay for it."

"What do you mean? What do you want?!"

The other Max smiles at her darkly. "You used it for your own gains, you pulled information out of people and used it against them. For them to like you more. You used those powers to entertain your so called friend."

"Leave Chloe out of it!"

"Oh, poor little Max. Chloe this Chloe that, for someone who left and didn't keep in touch with her you sure whine a lot. Such a good friend you are." The other Max puts a finger under Max chin to look at her better. "So devoted, that you wanted to sacrifice a whole town, so selfish of you."

"Shut up!" She stumbles back.

"Oh shhhh, It's true. She already lost her father so what if she lost her mother too."

" I didn't! I didn't!"

"But you wanted to! The choice so appealing to you! You're a murderer!"

"Shut up!"

"Why?!" The other Max jumps to her, face to close to her own. She looks maniac and Max trembles.

"You're a selfish bitch! That's what you are! You're just postponing what's unavoidable!" Max turns around and tries to run but the other Max is there and she halts.

"You can't run, Max" The other one says and then laughs and laughs until her teeth start falling out, blood oozing from her mouth. Max is terrified. Her mirror self is smiling at her, lips bloody. And when Max looks into her eyes, they're bloodshot, pupils completely black. They start to bleed out too and Max feels sick. She needs to escape from here but she feels a pair of arms holding her in place, she turns her head, slowly. There's another her but the younger one from before Seattle. She has her eyes and mouth sew up and Max yanks out but to no avail. She screams, screams so long that her throat gets dry and eventually she starts sobbing. She hears rustling and when she looks up, the other her is covered in blood, eyes slightly glowing in red but what catches her attention are big blue butterfly like wings coming out of the other Max back. As soon as her eyes lands on them though they turn to grey looking almost like a 'moth' she thinks. The other her lifts up a white candle and lights it up.

"Tic toc, tic toc, Max." She says, giggling at the end and Max shakes. She pulls out of the grip of her younger self and runs off, tripping over chopped limbs. She runs and runs but there's no end to it, her heart beating like crazy, she slips on the blood and hits the floor with her knees, too tired to stand up, laughter coming out from everywhere sneaking into deepest corners of her mind.

"Wake up" She hears a whisper, like a promise. "Wake up!" A shout and glowing eyes in the darkness. Finally a scream like growl penetrating right through her head. "WAKE UP!"


	4. Chapter 4

Max stirs abruptly in her sleep feeling like a giant pile of pain. When she opens her eyes after a bit of struggling she's welcomed by unfamiliar place an afterimage of nightmare behind her eyelids, glowing eyes and bloody smile, before it vanishes completely leaving only unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach. The last thing she remembers is trying to stop Nathan from making a mistake of his life. She feels a bit numb and giddy and she's pretty sure that wherever she is it's not her room or any room she could recognize. She also realizes she has some slight problem with breathing and she focuses her eyes down and sees a mask with a tube. She recalls Chloe from alternate timeline and panic starts to arise within her. She starts to wriggle trying to move her hands up to the tube and take it off. Her heart skyrockets and there is a sudden noise coming from the heart monitor, she can't breathe and there's a menacing laugh in the back of her mind. She sees some movement in her peripheral vision a red blur, the mask with the tub is ripped of her face in next moment.

Nathan looks at Caulfield how she coughs and then gulps the air like she's starved for it. He thinks it's strange since the tube supposed to pump her with oxygen but he doesn't dwell on it. She looks pitiful and he laughs he can't stop himself. She looks at him defiantly, tears in the corner of her eyes and face red so he laughs more. "You're such ugly troll, Caulfield." She scoffs at him and he smirks.

"You're a jerk, Prescott." What is he even doing here, Max is not sure and where is here exactly. She feels lightheaded and strangely detached from her mind and body, a swirl of thoughts in her head all blurred and fuzzy. Her first thought is that someone dosed her and the image of Jefferson pops in her head, she pales, heart beating frantically. "Where… where I am?" She slurs a bit.

Nathan laughs at her again, it's short and sudden and then he looks at her, observing, like she's some kind of interesting animal. "In the fucking hospital, Crackfield."

She feels relieved but on the other hand what is she doing here? She tries to look around the room. There're a bunch of machines, she recognizes heart monitor but not the rest. She notes two chairs, one between her bed and window and the other in the corner of the room a coffee table alongside it. "Why am I here?" She asks looking at Nathan not sure what to expect of him, she notices that he's fidgeting, he's always fidgeting, a constant movement, like he couldn't stay in one place too long or maybe it's something else.

"I don't know, you tell me why your fucking nose tried to imitate a bloody Niagara?" There is a sudden image of Rachel appearing in his mind and it vanishes just as quickly. He starts to pace the floor, he thought he's over it, over the countless sleepless nights when he was wrenched from sleep by nightmares. He finally was able to sleep relatively normally but then Caulfield shows up and ruins everything. He looks at her sharply and she cringes. Well he had new nightmares but they didn't have anything to do with Amber and he admits he felt on edge from them but they weren't the worst and he found a purpose in the form of Caulfield mystery condition, a distraction. But apparently it had some side effects to it. He tries to calm down, 'it's fine, I have everything under control.' He thinks. Caulfield is silent and he snaps. „Are you deaf Caulfield or maybe your brain melted?!"

"I don't have to answer that, and you should stop yapping. I don't have an umbrella to hide from all that spit flying everywhere." Max eyes go wide the moment the words leave her mouth, It's not what she wanted to say, not exactly. Nathan stops abruptly, eyes wide with surprise and Max can tell the precise moment when anger appears in them, it's fascinating in a way and Max would look at those eyes more if she wasn't fearing for her life. Her drugged up mind gives her some stupid quotes and references that are not appropriate in this kind of moment or not ever. Prescott jumps up to her and Max tries to get away from him as much as she can which is not that much. There is an image of a gun and very angry looking Prescott appearing in her head, and apparently she has no control over her mouth when she exclaims in accusing tone. "You pointed a gun at me!" Maybe it wasn't such bad move since Prescott freezes in place. Her inside voice declaims in delight 'and the award for the most dramatic drama queen act goes to… Maxine Caulfield!' She lets out a giggle. What's wrong with her?! She feels like she smoked a pot for a week and her helpful mind supplies that it's not pot but morphine and certainly not for a week, she wants to cry and she does just that.

Nathan not sure what the fuck is going on but Caulfield is acting like she was high or something, clearly unstable. He looks at IV's in her arm and he remembers that they're in the hospital so that's means Caulfield must be pumped by the morphine or other shit like that. He sighs feeling suddenly tired, anger leaving him like air from the balloon. Memory of Rachel appearing in his mind again, he swears, he's not going there, he's past it. He was doing fairly well up to this fucking moment. He should stop thinking about it, he focuses on Caulfield instead. "Leave the fucking gun out of it. Tell anyone about it and you're duped." He scoffs. „No one will believe you anyway, you damn dyke."

"You say that but didn't someone came in when you were busy pointing a barrel at me?" Not someone – Chloe. Nathan makes a face.

"That punk ass bitch won't tell anything."

Max eyes widen a swirl of emotion in her heart, she wants to scream, to cry but she doesn't. "Is…she?" Dead comes unanswered. Max is kind of surprised at calmness of her voice considering the mayhem her emotions are right now.

"What, dead?! Do you think I killed that stupid bitch?! What do you take me for Caulfield?!" He's angry again his body taut like a bow string ready to jump at her in any moment in the rage outburst but Max just sighs with relief, relaxing her body, Chloe is fine, she's fine. Max frowns if Chloe is alive then it only means one thing. "The storm is still coming" She thinks not realizing she said that out loud, Nathan stiffens right next to her.

"What did you just say?!"

"I… I said that someone came in…"

"Not that, the storm! You said that storm is still coming!" Nathan looks lunatic, obsessed almost. His eyes are wide and focused solely on her.

Max looks at Prescott, eyes big as saucers, 'Crap', she slipped and she knew it. She panics and the only thing she can think of doing is rewind. She tries to move her hand up in Nathan direction, she feels familiar tingle in her right palm that goes up her arm but then the headache hits her and her face twists in pain. 'no, please no' she thinks but her vision goes red around the edges and she knows something is wrong. 'I must've used it too much like the time with Kate or is it the morphine?' the thought makes her tremble.

Nathan on the other hand looks at Caulfield and her stretched out arm, he frowns not sure what the hell is going on, she looks like she's in pain though, his outburst subsides and he feels confusion. He looks at her hand, then at her and at her hand again not sure what to do. He decides that it doesn't matter, he needs to know about the storm. The image of tornado hitting Arcadia Bay finds its way to his mind, the same tornado he dreamed of in the past week. He knew it was real it felt like it but no one believed him nor his father nor his douche of a shrink so he didn't tell anyone else. He looks at Caulfield, she's staring back at him, face twisted in pain, lips tight and eyes narrowed, cheeks stained with tears.

"The storm, what do you know about it?!" He needs to know, his body tingles like he's swarmed by army of ants, his mind in overdrive, images of death, destruction and blood flashes before his eyes and he closes them trying to disperse these images but then he hears screams full of agony, his heart beating mile a minute ready to break free from its cage of bone. His chest feels tight and he can almost feel blood pumping trough his veins. He opens his eyes and sees in his periphery, through a window, a group of crows raising up from the trees, the noise of their wings flutter, irregular, fast and loud like his heart, he needs to know. Birds fly in the air a big mass of black before they go in their way leaving a blue sky behind. He looks at Caulfield, he needs to know.

Max looks at him, she sees madness in his eyes but it disappears almost immediately a flicker like a snap of fingers, gone. White walls behind him, he looks so out of place here. She's scared and in the same time she isn't, her mind still fuzzy from morphine. She doesn't know what to say, and Nathan reaction to what she said, intrigues her it's like he knows something up. Her throat is dry and tight, she gulps. Prescott looks at her intently and she looks back and it's like time froze itself, the air is heavy and everything is silent, so silent she can hear voices outside her room, clearly like she was there, but she's not. She finally gives up and breaks the silence, suddenly tired, what's the worst case scenario can be in that matter? Prescott thinking she lost her mind? He probably thinks that already. She sighs and then the words leave her, but they're not truth not entirely, she can't risk her secret so she goes for the next best thing.

"I had a vision of storm, of big tornado destroying Arcadia Bay and everything else in its way, almost everything… the lighthouse… it's safe but the rest is gone… will be gone…" She's observing him, how his eyes widen, surprise all over his face, he opens his mouth then closes them like a fish out of the water and Max snickers, reaction not appropriate but she doesn't care, her mind a bit clearer than before but still too fogged, too detached for her liking. Nathan is completely still so uncharacteristic of him. The magic is broken by his laugh, sudden and loud and crazy and she's caught in half flinch half tremble. She never knows how he'll react, looking at his wide spectrum of possible behaviors which in itself is quite amazing, she doesn't know anyone with such mood swings and she wonders if it just him or is there something wrong with him mentally or both, maybe both.

"So you fucking saw it too?" He peers at her, there's a maniac look on his face and she tilts her head to the side.

"wait, 'too'?" Max can't believe it, Nathan has seen the storm? How?

"A vision of this big ass fucking hurricane coming to wipe out this damn town." And then he laughs once again this day, it's a bit hysterical. She gazes at him, the way he paces the floor, his frame shaking from laughing too hard. Is he traveler too? No, impossible, so for some reason he had a vision of the storm, why? He stops abruptly.

"When did you see it?"

"I..I had my first vision of it about week ago," it's not necessarily a lie, it was a week, for her at least. "Maybe earlier but these visions… they're getting stronger, more… real," because it was very much real. "The last one, I had in Jefferson class, it was so real like I was there." Nathan looks giddy and Max wonders if she did the right thing in telling him that, he started to behave tiny little bit unstable at least by Prescott standard.

"Where, Caulfield?" Nathan stares at her intently and she swallows hard.

"By the lighthouse, and I saw how the tornado went through the center of the town destroying everything."

"Fuck, Caulfield" He stares at her a bit insanely but then he smiles, actually smiles at her, he… he looks relieved? Max isn't sure.

"So you've seen it, too then?"

"Of-fucking-course! Fuck Caulfield! Everyone thought I'm crazy, but I was right from the fucking beginning!" He grins a little impishly and Max smiles a little herself. It's short lived though, he turns serious in the next moment.

"What about Jefferson?"

Max knits her brows, Jefferson? "What about him?" She asks warily.

"Back in the bathroom you, I don't fucking know, tried to warn me or something."

'I did?' she thinks but can't really remember, it's kind of hazy. Did she slipped? Heck she can as well go with the flow. "You might think I'm crazy…" Prescott gives her a look.

"I had vision of a deadly storm, and apparently 'am not the only one, so go figure, Crackfield."

"I… right" She clears her throat. Ok then. "It started a little before the visions of the storm," she pauses, takes breath and goes on. "I started to have these… dreams. They were a bit blurry at first but every other one was clearer than the last." Not dreams but since Prescott seems to believe her about her vision of the storm it's looks like a safer bet to make. And there's no way to prove her rewind abilities since she can't use them for now. Better safe than sorry. So she tells him about the barn with the bunker in it, and Jefferson and Rachel, how he was photographing her, she doesn't mention Prescott though. She told him about red binders and junkyard and how Jefferson buried Rachel body there, everything in the cover of dreams, visions. Nathan is silent his eyes wide, shocked, fearful, when she comes to the part of Rachel being buried in the junkyard though, he flinches, a gasp accompanying the movement. It catches her attention and she looks at him but he's not looking back, his eyes empty and face completely drained from color, he's silent, body still. She wants to tell him about Kate and Victoria, that she's next but she doesn't have the chance.

„So she's really dead?" He says in a whisper and then he starts laughing yet again, but this time it's broken and it reminds her of a sad howl, one a wolf could make losing someone from its pack. It's transforming into something more hysterical and Max curses under her breath, because apparently he didn't know she's dead, that Rachel is dead, looking at his reaction or maybe he knew but didn't acknowledged it, Max's not sure but her heart hammers in her ribcage which is suddenly too tight. She made another mistake and she can't rewind it, she triggered something and now his whole façade is tumbling like a house made from cards. She looks at him at his shaking frame how he grasps his hands on his head, just over his ears and after a second or two sliding them up to his hair, pulling them hard, there are tears flowing down his face, eyes wide and dark, madness back in them full force, and he's laughing hard and obnoxious, feverish and crazed. And Max is divided between fear and fascination, her mind can't decide. She made a mistake and can't take it back, his laugh echoing in her ears, penetrating her to the very bone. He stops and starts mumbling incoherent words instead. She catches 'dead' several times and 'my fault' and a chant of 'no's'. It breaks her heart in a way she didn't know it would, he looks like he lost it once and for all and she hopes not. There's a fleeting feeling reminding her that she didn't care before and she shouldn't now, but she does, she can't stand to look at him like that and she's confused, everything is wrong and she doesn't know anything anymore.

"Shut up! Shut the fuck up! Leave me alone!" She hears him scream, he covers his ears again. She thinks he means her but his eyes are unfocussed, hollow and he starts laughing one more time, he looks at her, a moment of clarity in his eyes, before it's fogged again, an accusing finger pointing at her "You!" He screams. "It's your fault!" And she's terrified for a moment and then he's gone bumping shoulders with the doctor that comes in, she hears a noise on her right and she tilts her head in that direction. She's too occupied looking outside the window to acknowledge the doctor, a big moth sitting in the corner of the glass, a silent observer of the events playing out a moment ago, and she ponder it strange since it sill the middle of the day and if her mind was clear she would see that something is more than wrong. She doesn't realize she's crying until doctor points it out.

* * *

Nathan runs trough corridors and when he finally stumbles outside the hospital he's gasping for air. "Shut up! Shut up!" And Rachel laughs at him, he shuts his eyes tightly like he could get rid of her this way. He goes to his car when he's tumbling with his car keys he looks at the woods near the hospital. There is a doe looking at him before its running away.

" _You did this Nathan, I asked for your help and you abandoned me."_ Rachel whispers in his ear and shiver runs down his spine.

"You're not real!" He sits behind the steering wheel. A big moth sitting on the front window like its mocking him, he snarls at it or maybe at Rachel so he puts windscreen wipers into good use and the moth is gone, a trail of red and grey and brown before it's gone too.

" _I'm not or maybe I am, it's hard to decide."_

He ignites the engine and drives away from this place he wish he could get away from his madness too. "You're not real!"

" _Why do you think that?"_ She asks him curiously.

"Because you're dead! Dead!" He screams, car shaking from side to side and he laughs, it's bitter and he chokes on his tears. He doesn't see the road, everything a blur.

" _And why is that?!"_ She asks him barring teeth at him.

"Leave me alone! You're not real! You're fucking not Real!"

„ _Oh, poor Nathan Just because you shut me down convincing yourself that you have nothing to do with it doesn't mean it will work this time too. I won't let you close me off again, never."_

He looks to the side, he sees her glossy eyes and bloody nose, he sobs.

" _Aww look at you, Prescott, a sobbing mess. You saved that girl in the bathroom but she reminds you of me, eyes and blood, you tried to forget and you succeeded but that's the end of it, you can't save her, you didn't save me, you can't even save yourself. "_

"It's just in my head, you're not real! Fuck the hell off!"

" _Why should I?! I begged for your help! And you betrayed me! You both did!"_

He flinches when memories starts appearing in his mind fragmental like shards of broken mirror. _He remembers bunker where Jefferson was doing shots of Rachel, drugged out of her mind and bound on the floor. He was sitting on the couch sipping whiskey trying to numb his mind and erase a bile in his throat._

" _I was scared, so scared."_ Her voice brings him to reality his hands trembling. _Another memory floods his mind. Rachel is sitting in the corner looking like caged animal. Jefferson is shouting at him, face red and angry._ Snap. _Another one where he takes syringe at Jefferson demand and injects its content into Rachel throat, her eyes wide and terrified and he feels like he lost a part of his soul, eaten by something dark and remorseful._ Snap. _Another one where Jefferson gives him a glass of alcohol and praises him._ Snap. _Rachel with glossed eyes and bloody nose._

" _You did this to me."_ She whispers and he stumbles out of his truck onto parking lot of the Blackwell, he runs to the dormitories, where his supplies are. He bumps into some kid that falls over but he doesn't care and Amber laughs at him, he speeds up.

 _Another memory of Jefferson disappointed look._ He passes by Victoria but doesn't see her. She's calling after him but he doesn't stop, he needs to take something, anything to get rid of it, get rid of her, Rachel. He laughs to himself and she's skipping right next to him like a rabbit and he knows she's not real, but his heart thumps and he only wants to get high. _Another memory of passing out in Jefferson car or maybe his, he hears some rustling before he blacks out completely._ He reaches his door. _Another memory of flashes of light right to his face but he can't open his eyes, too tired, a reward as Jefferson said it, 'enjoy it'_. He's looking for his drugs but he can't find any. Rachel snickers at him, a flood of accusation leaving her mouth. He's on edge he feels it and he giggles maniacally.

" _Nathan."_ She goads him, but he ignores it, he looks into his drawer and takes out money, time to visit Frank.

"Nathan!" He feels hand on his arm and he snaps, he turns abruptly hitting Rachel across her face to fucking leave him alone. She stumbles and hits the floor hard and he laughs maniacally only it's not Rachel on the floor but Victoria, looking at him petrified. He freezes.

" _Way to go, Prescott."_ Amber whispers into his ear mockingly. He laughs loudly.

"He won't stop. He won't stop." He repeats it like a mantra.

„Who?! Nathan you're scaring me!" Nathan looks at Victoria and advances to her like a predator to his prey she flinches back from him, terrified. He smirks.

"I'm cursed. I'm cursed!" He screams at her.

" _You did this."_ Rachel tells him putting her hands on his waist like she wants to comfort him. He sobs.

He looks at Victoria and adds in a softer tone. "I did this. I did this." Victoria looks confused so he laughs again and again.

 _"Nathan, please help me."_ Rachel says. _"Please, please."_

"Shut the fuck up!" He puts his money in the pocket and leaves the room leaving shocked Victoria behind. He passes by a crowd of students whispering not so quietly that he finally lost it but no one dares to come closer to him, he giggles.

When he is in his car on the road to the beach he's struggling going in and out of memories. Rachel sits in the front with him yet again, laughing at him and crying and snickering, none of it and everything at once.

" _When you started to remember that night you invited me in your head just like now_." She's smiling and his stomach turns to knots.

"No one invited you." He grits out. His head aching, pulsing like bomb ready to go off any minute.

" _The guilt you felt… but you tried to forget, lied to yourself to feel better, convinced that I'm alive, such ignorant little jerk you are."_ She snickers at him. _"Tried to live normally, putting an illusion around yourself a wall made of glass and lies and ignorance."_

"You're not real! You're not real!"

She look at her fingernails then outside the window, she giggles at the passing scenery. _"How did it go for you, hmm Nathan? Even now you can't break free, driving straight to your nightmares. Dark but illuminated by flashes of light, six feet underground, numbers and red and green."_

"I didn't want that, I didn't. I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

" _Your apologies are worth nothing!"_ She jumps to him and he jerks the steering wheel to the left, next thing he knows is a pain in his chest, head in strange angle. He glances down and he sees airbag, slowly deflating, he looks up, there's a tree in front of him, everything is spinning and he feels nauseous and numb all over, he looks to the side outside the window and he feels air on his face and something slick and warm down his cheek. He blinks his eyes, a whistle in his ears. He sees a shadow overtaking the sun, eclipse, and he realizes he doesn't hear anything anymore, and he smiles at the silence that's taking him. It's silent, It's done, he's free and he closes his eyes enveloped by darkness.


End file.
